by Evan Ren

CAPITAL FARM CREDIT/BCP PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Stephenville’s Cameron takes final award of 2020-21

Our final Capital Farm Credit/Big Country Preps Player of the Week for the 2020-21 school year could go to any number of area athletes in the wake of the state track and field meet held over the weekend in Austin. 

We finally settled on Stephenville’s Victoria Cameron, who stunned those in attendance at Mike A. Myers Stadium with an incredible 11.48-second finish in the girls 4A 100 meters — obliterating her personal best by nearly four tenths of a second to take gold. 

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by Evan Ren

STATE TRACK ROUNDUP (Day 3): Cross Plains boys, girls top Big Country teams on Day 3

With a a combined six boys and girls relay teams heading to Austin, backed by a loud contingent of fans, Cross Plains entered the 2021 UIL State Track and Field Meet feeling as though it had a shot to win two team state championships. Or at the very least, team bronze or silver. 

It just didn’t happen. 

Finishing in fifth place in both the girls and boys 1,600-meter relays, the exhausted Buffaloes were edged off the team medal stand with two fourth-place finishes. They were, nonetheless, the top boys and girls team performers among all Big Country Class 1A participants on Saturday, earning a combined total of four relay medals (two each).

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Elston’s gem, hot bats fuel Stephenville to bi-district sweep

GRAHAM — Stephenville baseball coach Justin Swenson was hoping to get his bullpen some work during his team’s Region I-4A bi-district series against Vernon. The Yellow Jackets wouldn’t let him.

After watching Bryson Dill deliver a complete-game gem in an 8-2 win in the series opener on Friday, junior left-hander Reece Elston followed suit in Game 2 on Saturday, pitching a five-inning two-hitter in a 12-2 run-rule victory at the Graham baseball field.

Taking a perfect game into the fourth inning, Elston ran into a little hiccup in that frame, losing his shutout on a walk and a pair of extra-base hits. But his lineup countered with eight runs in the bottom of the inning to stake him to a 10-run lead, and he put up his fourth zero in the fifth inning to end the game there by run rule.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Jacksboro edges Merkel again, takes hard-fought area-round series 2-0

GRAHAM — After falling 2-1 to Jacksboro in 15 innings in the opener of their Region I-3A area-round series on Friday, the Merkel Lady Badgers found themselves in another tight contest with the Tigerettes on Saturday.

But as was the case in that marathon Game 1, Jacksboro proved to be just a little bit better, using a three-run fifth inning to eliminate MHS with a 3-0 win at the Graham softball field.

Merkel threatened to rally late, putting runners in scoring position in each of the final three innings, but as was the case the day before, the Lady Badgers just couldn’t solve JHS pitcher Alex Holman.

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by Mike Lee, Special to Big Country Preps

GAME STORY: Hawley softball cools Miles’ win streak and hot bats

Photos by Seth LaRue 

BROWNWOOD — Saturday’s Class 2A softball area playoff game between Hawley and Miles seemed more like two games. There was the first inning, which Hawley fell behind 3-0. Then there was the rest of the game, which the Lady Cats dominated with a dozen unanswered runs.

The Hawley Lady Cats completed a best-of-three series sweep of the Miles Lady Bulldogs with Saturday’s 12-3 decision as freshman pitcher ShayLynn Bailey settled down after a rough first inning and finished with a complete-game four-hitter.

Hawley (12-4) advanced to play the Anson-McCamey winner in next week’s regional quarterfinals. If it’s Anson, Hawley squeezed out a pair of one-run wins during their District 7-2A games earlier this season.

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by Daniel Youngblood

LOCAL SOFTBALL ROUNDUP: Cooper, Wylie sweep area-round series to advance

ODESSA — The Cooper softball team cruised to a Region I-5A area-round sweep over El Paso Chapin on Saturday at the Ratliff Softball Complex, following Friday’s 15-5 victory in the series opener with a 9-2 win in Game 2.

Leading 3-2 after an inning, the Lady Cougars scored the final six runs to advance to the Region I-5A quarterfinals next week.

CHS had six home runs among its 13 hits, providing ample support for pitcher Summer Simmons, who relieved starter Jahlissah Marquez in the first inning and went the distance for the win.

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